


Two Worlds

by ASchwartz33



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anbu Hatake Kakashi, Anbu Yamato | Tenzou, Namikaze Minato Lives, Nohara Rin Lives, Other, Uchiha Obito Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 15:27:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20780840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ASchwartz33/pseuds/ASchwartz33
Summary: A homeless teenage Kakashi goes to sleep under a bridge, and wakes up in a world full of ninjas





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an alternate universe type deal. It's definitely not canon as many people are alive/in the village that shouldn't be.
> 
> Please let me know what you think. I will upload one chapter a day until it's done. I almost have the whole thing written out...
> 
> Inspired by Rick and Morty episode "rick potion no. 9"
> 
> Story title is a Disturbed song

Far into the city of Konoha, between all the buildings, cars, and subway systems, underneath the structure of Kannabi bridge, Kakashi laid himself down on his cardboard mattress and settled down for the night. His bath in the river had given him the shivers, but it was the price he paid to stay presentable at work. Not many places were willing to hire teenagers, and the young boy couldn't afford to mess this up. In one month, he would turn eighteen. Finally, he had saved enough to move into an apartment… but no one was willing to rent to a minor. So here he was, sleeping under the same bridge he had been for the last three years, hoping his late-night bath wouldn't cause hypothermia. 

Kakashi pulled his blanket of newspapers up to his chin as he lay alone in the dark, thinking about all the moments that had led him to this.

It all started when he was six. His father, depressed and miserable for years, finally decided he couldn't take any more and had committed suicide. The memory of his father lying lifeless on the floor would haunt him for the rest of his life. 

After that, he was adopted into a loving family. His new father, Minato Namikaze, was an amazing man with so much love to give. His bright eyes held the whole world in them, and slowly he helped heal Kakashi's pain. 

His new siblings, Obito and Rin, treated him as if he had been there his entire life, even though they were adopted as well. They went to the same school, played games, and teased each other relentlessly. At a young age, he had shown a lot of potential, being constantly on the honor roll (much to Obito's dismay, as he was constantly failing), and a star on his middle school football team. 

When he was almost fifteen, the unthinkable happened. A group of bandits broke into their house. By the time they were done, Obito, Rin, and Minato had died. Kakashi would have died too, but he escaped to a neighbor's house, his only injury was a gash up the right side of his face that lost him his eye. 

After the horror of that night, Kakashi was bounced through several foster homes before he'd had enough. He ran away, dropped out of school, and after two months of searching found a man to hire him part time as a stock boy. 

His life was rough, and almost all of the minuscule paycheck he received was lost to food, but he had managed to stash some away a little at a time. He had found a tiny studio apartment that wouldn't be available until next month. The owner, a kind older man named Jiraiya, had offered to rent it to him once he was legally an adult. It was the first major break he had since his family's death, and he wouldn't waste it. 

Kakashi finally managed to quiet his restless mind and forced his eye shut to sleep. 

~

Kakashi woke to loud crashing noises and yelling. His eye wouldn't open no matter how hard he tried, and his limbs were paralyzed. 

"I won't leave him here!" A man whispered angrily. He didn't recognize the voice, not that he knew that many people to begin with. 

"So seal his body into a scroll and let's get a move-on!" A woman's voice answered. Kakashi had no idea what was going on or what they were talking about, but panic gripped him as he was finally able to open his eye. 

A brunette kid was leaning over him, mouth wide and staring at him like he had seen a ghost. Kakashi sat up abruptly, pushing the stranger away from him. "Get away from me, creep!" 

Taking his eyes away from the confusing teenager, his heart pounded in his chest as he took stock of his surroundings. He was in the grass of a field, and there were two literal dead bodies within three feet of him. 

"What the fuck?!"

Kakashi jumped to his feet, his breath caught as he tried to scramble away, tripping himself with unsure feet. Two other people moved in close on his right side, both wearing the same strange outfit as the guy before. 

"Kakashi, it's alright." The first kid said slowly. 

How does he know my name? 

"Why is his eye on the wrong side? What the hell happened?" The woman on the right spoke. 

Kakashi panicked and reached up to feel his good eye, and found nothing to be wrong with it. It wasn't until that moment that he realized he could feel his right eye, and he tried to open it. Everything tinted red as his vision suddenly went three-dimensional for the first time in years. He became dizzy, head spinning quickly as he felt like his life force was being drained from him. Swift fingers moved over his face, closing the eye for him. Kakashi's vision evened back out, and he blinked up at the brunette. 

"Kakashi, you need to keep that eye closed. Something is clearly wrong here. We need to get you back to Konoha." He spoke slowly. 

"Who the hell are you and how do you know my name?" Kakashi asked nervously. 

"What? It's me, Tenzo." The kid said, his eyes narrowing. "You don't remember?"

Kakashi slowly shook his head. He had absolutely no idea what was going on, but he felt like he could trust this person. 

The guy named Tenzo looked to the others. "He has amnesia. We'd better get going."

"How come nobody else is freaking out about the dead bodies?" Kakashi asked, a slight tinge of panic in his voice as his previously missing eye opened again. 

Tenzo frowned, reaching over to shut the eye again. This time, he pulled a headband down over it. Kakashi hadn't even been aware that he was wearing one. He finally looked down at himself, seeing the same strange outfit the others were wearing. 

"There's nothing to worry about. They can't hurt you. Can you walk?"

Kakashi shook his head again slowly, still unsure of what was happening. 

"Yugao, can you grab his mask? We need to get going." Tenzo spoke confidently. He reached over again, causing Kakashi to flinch as the man brought the front of his shirt over the lower half of his face. 

"Keep your fabric mask on. It will protect your face from the wind. I'm going to carry you on my back, ok? We need to get you home." Tenzo spoke before standing.

Kakashi decided that his best chance of getting back to Konoha was to cooperate with these people. They didn't seem to want to hurt him, so there was that. Had they killed those people? He had seen enough dead bodies in his life that he knew better than to look their direction again. He didn't want those memories burned into his brain. 

He was doubtful that the teen would even be able to carry him, and who knew how far away from town he was. Just as he was thinking about trying to stand, Tenzo hoisted him up onto his back like he was a feather. 

"Whoa, Captain you feel a lot lighter than the last time I had to carry your ass." Tenzo said with a laugh. 

"Captain?" Kakashi asked as he grabbed the kid's shoulders. 

"Oh. Sorry. I forgot you don't remember anything. Let's go." Tenzo said before he sprang from the ground like a rocket. Kakashi's eye flew open wide as he clung to Tenzo for dear life. 

"How are you doing this?! What is happening?!" Kakashi shrieked from Tenzo's back. 

The man stopped seemingly in mid-air, magically balancing them on a branch. 

"Kakashi? Calm down, ok? It's alright." Tenzo tried to reassure him.

"How the fuck is this alright? We're up IN A GODDAMN TREE!" Kakashi yelled as he just about started hyperventilating. 

"Okay, okay. Would you feel better if we ran on the ground instead?" He asked. 

"You mean would I feel better if I wasn't about to fall to my DEATH? WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?!" Kakashi continued to yell.

Tenzo laughed, confusing Kakashi on top of everything else. The man jumped off the branch and Kakashi squealed (in a very manly fashion). They hit the ground lightly, but Kakashi let go of Tenzo's shoulders and the man let him drop down. The silver-haired teenager bent in half, retching as he tried to calm himself. 

Tenzo waited patiently for him to settle down before grabbing Kakashi again. He was too weak to fight it, but at least Tenzo stayed on the ground this time. They moved at inhuman speeds along the ground, with Kakashi hiding his face behind Tenzo's broad shoulders for most of the trip. If his estimations were correct, it had taken over three hours before the group finally slowed down to enter the gates of a village he didn't recognize. 

They ran through the streets until Tenzo brought them into a rounded red building. They moved past confused people, and Kakashi could have sworn he heard his name at least twice before the entered another room. 

"Lord Hokage, sorry for the intrusion but we have an issue." Tenzo spoke as he removed Kakashi from his back. 

Hokage? Who the hell was that? 

He managed to keep his legs under himself as he looked around. In front of him, leaning against a large wooden desk, was a man that had been dead for almost four years. 

Minato eyed him, confusion evident as he started to speak. "What the hell happened to your eyes?" 

Kakashi's thoughts ran wild, his breathing quickened and his heart threatened to beat out of his chest. "Minato?...but… you died?" Was all he managed to get out before his vision went fuzzy and he passed out. 

"What the hell happened? Rabbit, go fetch Tsunade, quickly." He heard Minato speak. 

"He was hit with some sort of sealing spell. I don't know, but he died, Sir. I watched him die. And he woke up like this. He doesn't remember anything, and his eyes are switched around." Tenzo explained. None of this made any sense. 

Kakashi opened his eyes again, and before Tenzo could reach up to close the red tinted one, Kakashi hit his hand away. "Why do you keep doing that? Stop touching me!" He half ordered and half whined as he closed the eye for himself. Minato's face sprang into view above him. Kakashi couldn't hold back his emotions. He sprang forward, wrapping his arms around Minato's shoulders. "I can't believe you are alive!" He half sobbed. 

"Kakashi? What are you talking about? Why wouldn't I be alive?" Minato questioned, though he hugged Kakashi back. 

"I saw them… they killed you! You were on the floor and I ran away." Kakashi frantically cried, refusing to let go of the man he considered his father. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Nothing like that has happened… what's the last thing you remember?" The blonde asked as he leaned away, looking Kakashi in the eye.

"I was sleeping under the bridge." Kakashi answered quickly. 

Minato looked at Tenzo, who only shrugged. Of course Minato wouldn't know about the bridge… he's probably been looking for Kakashi since he ran away. He should've known the man had survived. 

"I've been living there since I thought they had killed you. They tried to put me in a boy's home but I ran away." Kakashi explained. 

Both Tenzo and Minato were quiet, staring down at Kakashi with confusion written all over their faces. Minato started looking at Kakashi closely, as if he was examining him. "Has he lost weight? He seems awfully thin… he just seems… different."

"He was really light when I was carrying him. It's like he doesn't have the muscle mass anymore." Tenzo said reflectively. 

The doors burst open.

"Alright Minato, what the hell have you called me here for? ...What's wrong with the brat?" A woman's angry voice rang out. Kakashi looked over to the door, spying a familiar blonde with a giant chest. "Hey, aren't you the principal at the school?" He asked, watching the lady frown immediately. 

"Are his eyes backwards?" She asked loudly as she moved to sit next to him on the floor. 

"Why do people keep saying that? What's wrong with my eyes?" Kakashi asked. 

"We're asking because your sharingan isn't on the correct side. What did someone hit you on the head or something?" The lady asked. 

"Lady Tsunade, he was hit with some sort of sealing jutsu. I have no idea what it did, but he died, and then woke up like this. He doesn't remember anything that happened, but keeps remembering things that aren't real." He heard Tenzo explain again. 

"Wait, what's a sharingan? How can my eyes be backwards?" Kakashi asked, trying to get a straight answer from someone. 

Tsunade finally answered him. "Your eyes are backwards because THIS eye," she said, poking next to his good eye, "should be where THIS one is." 

"Why would it be on that side? I lost my right eye in the home invasion. I don't know why I can see out of it because it's been an empty hole in my head for almost four years." Kakashi explained, frustration leaking into his tone. 

Tsunade furrowed her brows and picked up his hand. Bright green sparks flew out of his fingers and Kakashi ripped his hand away, his eye as wide as a saucer. 

"Hold still, brat. I need to see what's wrong." She lectured as she picked his hand up again. 

"He freaked out when we were jumping through the trees too. He started dry-heaving when I dropped down to the ground." Tenzo said quietly. Tsunade's face went dark as she concentrated on his hand. A strange warming sensation spread through his bones as the green light ran from her fingers. 

"Something's wrong with his chakra network. It's strange… it's like he's never used it before. It's so… under-developed. I've worked on him plenty to know that this isn't right. Are we sure this is actually Kakashi?" She said as she looked to Minato. He frowned as he considered the confusing information. 

"What's a chakra network?" He asked calmly. "Also what time is it? I have to work at two this afternoon." 

"Tenzo. Summon Inoichi here at once." Minato commanded, and the teen was gone in a flash. 

"Minato? What's going on? Why is all this happening?" Kakashi asked, fear seeping into his bones. 

Minato looked at him, worry flashing over his face, and the blonde lifted him into a hug. Kakashi crumbled into the embrace, whispering an almost silent "I missed you" as he grasped the man's shirt. 

~

Minato held him for a long time, and Kakashi realized it was the first hug he'd had since the man had died. He cried silently, shaking in the man's arms as he felt Tsunade's gaze on him. This was all so strange. This place, these people. Was this all a dream? If it was, he never wanted to wake up. He would rather die than go back to a world where he was all alone. Here, there was Minato. 

The door opened again as Tenzo led a tall blonde man into the room. 

"Lord Hokage, the situation has been explained to me. I'll get to work straight away." He spoke quickly. 

He kneeled in front of the pair, and Kakashi retreated farther into Minato's embrace. 

"It's okay, Kakashi. Trust me." The blonde cooed, stroking his hand through messy silver hair. Kakashi sat up a little straighter, still hanging on to his father as he made eye-contact with the man. 

The man, who Kakashi assumed to be Inoichi, reached out and placed a palm to the teenagers forehead. He closed his green eyes, and Kakashi felt his own eyes roll into the back of his head. Memories flashed through the front of his brain as he re-lived everything he had ever experienced. He saw his father, Sakumo Hatake, dead on the floor, and then his life with Minato and his siblings, Rin and Obito. He saw all of them die, again, and he couldn't stop the whimper that escaped his lips. He saw the awful families he was placed with before his new life of homelessness flashed before him. His life was pathetic, and lonely. It was finally over after having to experience his ride through the trees a second time.

He was violently shaking by the time the memories stopped and the man removed his hand. Inoichi opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. He looked confused, almost as much as Kakashi had been earlier. He looked to Minato. "Sir, I think you should see this." 

"Can you show me without him? He doesn't seem to be handling it well." Minato spoke worriedly. 

"Of course he isn't. He isn't a ninja. This isn't the same Kakashi we know." He said with furrowed brows. 

Tsunade interjected. "How can that be possible? I need to see this too." She said, moving closer to Minato as the other blonde man placed a palm to both of their foreheads. 

Ninja? Of course he wasn't a ninja. There is no such thing. Kakashi was starting to think that all of these people belonged in a damn looney bin. 

"Oh my god." Was the only thing Tsunade said when the man moved his arms. 

"How… how the hell could this happen? Does this mean OUR Kakashi..." Minato asked as he hugged Kakashi closer. 

"Most likely he is dead. Tenzo had mentioned that he died right before magically waking up again. Maybe this is some sort of curse?" Tsunade spoke softly, reaching out to squeeze Kakashi's arm. Now he was getting nervous. 

"Okay can somebody tell me what is happening?" Kakashi asked, his voice embarrassingly shakey. 

Minato continued stroking through his hair as he leaned away to look down at him. "Kakashi… I don't really know how to explain this. This… isn't your world. You've been transported here, taking the place of the Kakashi from our time who had just died." 

Kakashi blinked. Narrowing his eyes. "This isn't funny. If someone doesn't tell me what's going on, I'm going to punch somebody."


	2. Chapter 2

Minato stood up, leaving Kakashi on the floor. He paced around the small room. "Okay, how do I explain this." He said, continuing his race around the office. "In our world, we have ninja, and in your nervous system, there is a thing called chakra. Chakra can be controlled to be used to create, destroy, and protect. For instance, Tsunade released her chakra through her fingers earlier. You remember the green glow?" Kakashi nodded slowly, eyes narrowing again as he listened to Minato's stream of bullshit. The man had clearly watched too many movies. 

"Now, I can release chakra into my palm to create a whirling sphere of destruction, or I can use it to transport myself across the room." He held out his hand, and a blue sphere formed, creating a strong breeze in the room. Then, he disappeared. Kakashi's eyes widened as he looked around the room for the blonde. Tsunade giggled as Minato appeared behind him, startling the teen. "WHAT THE FUCK!" He yelled out. 

"Watch your language, brat." Tsunade said calmly. 

Minato continued his explanation after that, as if he almost didn't just make Kakashi shit the pants that weren't his. "Tenzo here, can combine water and earth chakra to use a wood release. Go ahead, Tenzo." 

Tenzo stood, crossing the room to stand in front of Kakashi. He moved his hand into weird shapes before smashing a palm into the ground. "Mokuton!" 

A single cherry tree grew out of the floor right in front of Kakashi's face. He jumped to his feet, backing away from all the madness. 

Tenzo looked to Minato, or Lord Hokage or whoever the hell he was. "Sir, would it be okay for me to see what Inoichi saw?" 

"I don't think it would hurt. Go ahead." 

Tenzo went to Inoichi and sat on the floor. After the man apparently showed him his memories, Kakashi watched as he turned to face him with sadness in his eyes. 

The sad teenager looked to Minato. "This Kakashi doesn't know me at all. So… the Kakashi that saved me from Root, and trained me, and was my captain and friend... he's dead?"

Minato sighed and looked down to the floor. "Tenzo, I don't know. I think it's safe to assume so. Maybe it would be beneficial to show THIS Kakashi one of OUR memories." 

"Who's memory would you like to show him?" Inoichi asked politely. 

****

Minato was deep in thought for a minute before he looked to Kakashi, who was still shaking. He moved over to the boy, pulling him into another hug. It was easy to forget how overwhelmed he must be with all of this. He was no different than a civilian at this point, except a civilian in this world knew of ninjas and chakra. His world had nothing of the sort. 

Minato shook his head as he thought about what he had seen. Himself, Obito, and Rin all dead on the floor. He couldn't believe this Kakashi had such a hard life even without the world of ninjas and war. It was hard to separate his memories of Kakashi from the scared boy clinging to his Hokage robe. After all, his Kakashi was likely never coming back. His heart ached for the loss, but he knew he had to move forward. He needed someone with a long memory of Kakashi. Someone who had watched him grow, and had spent plenty of time around him. He smiled as he finally thought of the perfect choice. 

"Tenzo, would you please summon Obito Uchiha?" 

"Yes, sir."

~

When Obito arrived, the civilian Kakashi practically tackled him in the doorway. It was painfully obvious in his movements that he wasn't a ninja, and that Obito was humoring him. 

****

"This is SOOO weird." Obito said. "If the real Kakashi saw you hugging me right now, he'd kick your ass." 

Kakashi looked up at Obito, his tear-streaked eyes confused. 

"He'd also be pissed that you are flashing your bare face around." The raven haired boy said with a laugh. 

"Why?" Kakashi asked quietly. 

"Well, I guess I'm here to show you." Obito said with a shrug as he allowed Inoichi to palm his forehead. 

When Inoichi was done, he looked at Kakashi again. "I'm going to show you Obito's memories of our Kakashi. This won't feel so horrible if you close your eyes on your own, instead of the jutsu doing it for you."

Kakashi was unsure, and Obito gave him a reassuring squeeze. He closed his eyes softly and braced himself. 

Visions of himself as a kid flashed through his head. It wasn't really him though. He was at, a ninja academy? Throwing shuriken? Why was he wearing a mask all the time? He saw people breathing fire, and shoot water from their mouths. But the craziest part was when he watched his ninja counterpart shoot lightning from his hand. 

He watched Obito's constant jealousy and their bickering. It wasn't done all in fun like he had done with his Obito… this wasn't a real friendship. At least it wasn't until Obito saved Kakashi's life, getting crushed by a rock and giving him his eye. How the kid had lived through that, he didn't know. But it certainly explained the red eye… except Kakashi didn't have it in his right side. It was in the left. Why did he have one now? Their dynamic changed and it appeared the other Kakashi decided to stop being so lonely and become friends. 

When the memories stopped, he looked at Obito. Really looked. He had been so excited that he hadn't noticed the large amount of scars on the right side of his face where he had been crushed, and the eyepatch over his left eye. He had been so excited to see his brother again that he didn't even realize how different the two really were. Obito met his eyes, and he realized he had been staring. "Sorry… I just didn't notice how different you were… from the Obito I knew." 

His heart raced as he fought to process all the information given to him. He hadn't even realized Inoichi was sharing his memories with Obito. Great. Another person to look at him like he was a freak. This was all getting to be too much, and he started to hyperventilate. Every breath was a struggle as Obito tried to calm him down. "It's okay, Kakashi!" 

His body dropped to the floor as sheer panic gripped him. He didn't belong in this world. He was just a normal guy who lived under a bridge. He couldn't send sparks out of his fingers or spit fire! What the hell was he going to do? 

Minato was on the floor with him in a heartbeat, pulling his head to the blonde's chest. "It's okay, Kakashi. We're going to figure this out. But for now, you need to rest. I'm going to find a place for you to stay tonight. I would send you with Obito, but there's no way I'm sending you to the Uchiha compound. I'll need to find someone else." 

"Lord Hokage, Kakashi could stay at my place, if he wouldn't mind." Tenzo interrupted. Despite not knowing the man, and seeing him sprout a whole freaking tree out of the floor, he trusted him. So when Minato looked at him for his opinion, he answered quickly. "That would be fine. I feel like I trust him for some reason." 

Tenzo looked at Minato again. "I know Mr. Yamanaka has already done a lot, but do you think I could show him MY memories of Kakashi?" 

Despite feeling like he had been mindfucked plenty, he was interested in what Tenzo had to show him. "I would like to see it. Uh… Sir." He replied, thinking twice about his tone. Everyone else here was treating Minato like he was the mayor, so maybe he ought to as well. 

Minato laughed lightly. "You don't have to call me that, Kakashi. You can keep calling me Minato." 

Kakashi breathed out, thankful at least one thing was going to be familiar to him in all of this. He turned to see Inoichi ready for him, and he closed his eyes. 

Between Tenzo's strange childhood and even stranger run-ins with Kakashi, it was a wonder this kid wasn't psychologically damaged. Then he saw them do some awful things together in, what was it, Anbu? But they also had good times, and clearly were friends. In fact, he would probably say that Tenzo idolized the man. Then, he watched as the man was hit by a purple streak across the field he recognized as the one he had woken up in. He watched as Tenzo shook him on the ground, trying to wake him up, and refusing to leave his body behind. 

Kakashi felt awful. These people had lost a comrade, a friend. And he had only thought of himself this whole time. They hadn't even given themselves a chance to mourn, and he knew it was for his benefit. "I'm… sorry, Tenzo. I think maybe I've been a little insensitive to all of you so far."

Obito placed a fast hand on his shoulder. "Don't do that to yourself. None of this is your fault! Besides, even though you are not the same people, it's eerie how similar you are… it's kind of like getting to say goodbye, you know? For closure and whatnot. Maybe tomorrow if you're up to it I'll bring Rin by."

Kakashi perked up slightly. "Rin? Rin is alive too?" 

"Yep." Obito smiled brightly. "You go get some rest, and we'll stop by tomorrow."

Kakashi smiled, suddenly feeling like he was blaring the world's greatest secret as Obito stared at the lower half of his face. He thought for a moment before pulling Kakashi's mask up to his face. "Better preserve the mystery, I suppose." He said sheepishly. 

Obito laughed. "Yes, better not show Konoha the handsome face Kakashi had been hiding all these years." 

Kakashi said his goodbyes, giving both Minato and Obito another hug before leaving. He and Tenzo walked down the street, and Kakashi took everything in while he could. He looked strange, he could tell. Someone who had supposedly lived here his whole life looking around like a tourist. 

"Where are the cars?" He finally asked. 

"Cars? Oh. You mean those metal things on wheels? I saw them in your memories… we don't have anything like that here." Tenzo replied. 

"How do you get from place to place?" Kakashi questioned. 

"Well I'm a ninja, so I use my chakra to run… like we did in the forest. But civilians use wagons, with horses mostly." Tenzo watched Kakashi as he answered, clearly tripping out at having to explain this to his friend. Kakashi's anxiety was flaring. Was he acting strange? Was this how Kakashi normally acted? He caught good glimpses of him through Obito and Tenzo's memories, but there were still pieces missing. 

As they entered the doorway to Tenzo's apartment, Kakashi froze. He was going to sleep indoors for the first time in over three years. Tenzo looked at him questioningly. 

"Sorry… I just um… I'm homeless, you know. I just… haven't been in a regular house for a long time." He answered nervously. 

Tenzo froze. "Oh, yeah. I saw that. I'm sorry… it can't be easy living the way you do."

"It really isn't, if I'm being honest. I hadn't even come into physical contact with another person since I ran away. I haven't had anyone to even talk to outside of work." Kakashi stopped his rambling to look at the Tenzo, who had been listening intently. "Sorry. I'm getting a little carried away." 

"Don't worry about it. It's kinda nice, actually. I can ask a question and get a real response from you." Tenzo said with a smile. His smile faltered when he thought some more. "Sorry… I know you aren't the same person. It's just a little hard to differentiate between you two when you look exactly alike." 

"It's okay. It's nice to feel like somebody SOMEWHERE actually knows me a little." He spoke softly. 

"You must get pretty lonely. I feel like our Kakashi did too. He always kept himself so closed off after the thing with his father. I didn't know him until a while after, but Obito always says he used to be WAY worse off." Tenzo said. 

Moving on from their depressing talk, Tenzo made them some sandwiches. By that time, it was already getting late. 

"We should get some sleep. It's a little early, but you've had a long day, and I just got back from a mission. Would you… like to sleep in the bed?" Tenzo asked cautiously. 

Kakashi thought about it for a minute. Was he really going to pass up the opportunity? If he was being honest, right now he was just afraid of being alone. Was he going to wake up under the bridge all by himself again? Would he get a chance to say goodbye to his new friend and his past family? The thought scared him. 

"Are you scared?" Tenzo asked bluntly.

"Yeah. A bit. Are... you going to stay with me?" Kakashi asked shyly. 

"If that's what you want. I understand. Besides, me and Kakashi have bunked together a million times for missions, so it won't be weird for me." Tenzo said with a smile. 

"Please? I'm actually a little afraid of waking up somewhere else. Or… maybe I'm afraid I'll actually be back where I belong. I'm not sure which would be worse." Kakashi said as they walked to the room. Tenzo threw Kakashi a pair of pajama pants to wear, and he changed in the bathroom. 

"Kakashi?" 

"Yeah?" He answered.

"Do you even WANT to go back home? It sounds like you are having doubts." Tenzo observed.

"I don't really know. People actually talk to me here… and care if I'm dead under a bridge somewhere. Well… I guess it's not ME they care about, but it's better than what I have there. But I don't belong here, and I feel like me staying would be a disservice to the real Kakashi. I'm just not sure." Kakashi said quietly. 

"Hmm. Just make sure you know what you want before you decide to go home. If they figure it out, which I'm sure they will, you won't ever be able to come back here." Tenzo paused in his thoughts, looking to Kakashi's chest with furrowed brows. "Where did you get that scar? You don't have all the same scars as Kakashi did, but that one is the same."

"Oh. Uh… I actually got stabbed a little. Some guy tried to steal my stuff when I was sleeping, and I woke up. He stabbed me and ran, and I walked up to the road and almost got hit by a car." He replied, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"For that one, i watched Kakashi get stabbed by a ninja from the sand village. We were supposed to be running surveillance, and the bastards got the drop on us. The guy's sword went clean through, and Kakashi just kept going like it was nothing. He was so pissed that someone actually snuck up on us that his adrenaline carried him through until they were gone. I carried him home, which isn't really that unusual seeing as he's always pushing his limits like a psychopath. I swear the guy should've had a hospital bed reserved for him." Tenzo said, smiling at the memory. "The scar is in exactly the same spot. It's kind of weird. Looks like Kakashi was destined to be stabbed there no matter what." Tenzo laughed. 

The two laid down on the bed, talking for a little while. Kakashi's eyes were heavy, and the bed was so insanely comfortable. How he was ever going to go back to sleeping outside, he didn't know. The talking randomly stopped, even though he could tell Tenzo wasn't asleep. The kid was still trying to take care of him, even if it was just being quiet so he would fall asleep. Why was THIS Kakashi so lucky? How come he got to have friends, and a team, and a life? 

When Kakashi woke up, daylight filtered in through the windows, and Tenzo was gone. If he hadn't been in a bed, he might've thought it was a dream. 

"Hey, you're finally awake. You slept for fifteen hours." Tenzo spoke from the doorway. 

"I did? Guess I was just too comfortable." He grumbled, rubbing his eyes as he slowly got out of bed. 

After an emotional visit from Obito and Rin, the two teenagers were summoned back to Minato's office. Kakashi borrowed a set of clothes from Tenzo, and they left immediately. 

When they arrived at the office, Minato wasn't the only one there. Tsunade stood next to the desk, and another man stood beside her. He made Kakashi's blood run cold. The man had long black hair, and yellow snake eyes set in far-too-pale skin. The man stepped forward immediately, crossing into Kakashi's space and grabbing him by the arm and pulling out a syringe.

Kakashi panicked, yelping and wrenching his arm away from the man and moving behind Tenzo. His new friend stayed between the two bravely, and for that he was grateful. 

"Orochimaru!" Tsunade yelled. "This boy is NOT a shinobi, and not used to this world. You need to announce yourself and explain your process BEFORE you go touching people!" 

"My apologies, young one. I am Orochimaru. I am going to help you get home, but I need a blood sample." The man hissed. His apology didn't even sound close to authentic, and he looked at Kakashi like he was a lab rat. He didn't like it one bit. He looked at Tenzo, who nodded at him. "It's okay. I'll be right here."

"How cute. Let's get a move-on, shall we?" Orochimaru spoke, his tone trying to tell Kakashi that he was superior. He moved closer to the man, regretting every second of it.

The man was not as gentle as he could have been as he snatched Kakashi's arm back up and drew some blood. 

"He has a sharingan. Are you sure he isn't faking it?" Orochimaru spoke with a sneer. 

Before Kakashi could blink, the man had him up against the wall with some sort of blade digging in against his throat. Kakashi started hyperventilating immediately, but before he even took his second panicky breath, Tsunade had the pale man by the throat and dragged him away. Minato was in the man's face, yelling at him. Kakashi didn't hear a word of it. His head hurt from hitting the wall, and he was checking his throat for blood. He was already dizzy by the time Tenzo had reached out for him. 

"Just breathe Kakashi. You're okay. He's just a dick." Tenzo spoke quietly, rubbing behind Kakashi's shoulders. 

Minato was done yelling finally and turned to Kakashi. "Are you okay? Once he figures out how to send you home, you will never have to see him again."

"Minato?" Kakashi asked once his breathing evened out. 

"Yes?" Minato questioned.

"Do I HAVE to go home?" Kakashi whispered. 

Minato opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it. His eyebrows furrowed as he watched Kakashi slowly. 

"You don't WANT to go back?" Minato asked him seriously.

"No. I have nothing there. I've had a decent time here, with the exception of the jerkoff over there." He said, motioning to Orochimaru. 

"Well… no. You don't have to go back if you don't want to. You can stay." Minato smiled softly as he answered. 

Kakashi smiled and moved back to Tenzo's side.

"You can stay with me, Senpai." Tenzo said.

"Senpai?" Kakashi asked, cocking his head like a dog. 

"Oh… sorry." Tenzo apologized as a blush crossed his face. "It's a title for someone more experienced than you. It's what I called Kakashi."

"Oh… ok."

The door clicked open, and before Kakashi could turn, he was rolling to the floor with someone on top of him. He landed hard on his back, with the attacker on his stomach. He opened his eye to see his mirror image, complete with wild silver hair and a spinning red eye. For the second time in the last ten minutes, a knife was held to his throat. 

"Who the hell ARE you?!" Kakashi yelled from on top of him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going back to the original Kakashi's point of view for this one since, SUPRISE! He's still alive. I'm sure that wasn't such a shock though because who really could be okay with poor Tenzo living without his Senpai?

Kakashi attempted to dodge the jutsu, but the chakra controlled spark of purple knocked him to the ground. His vision went fuzzy, and he fell unconscious. 

When his eyes opened up, he shot up off the ground, prepared for battle. He wasn't in the field any longer. Was this a genjutsu? He moved his arms up to his chest. "Release." Nothing. He scanned his surroundings. He was under a bridge? Everything just looked strange. He moved around the flimsy cardboard he had been laying on and made his way up over the bridge. His headband was missing, and his clothes were different, and slightly ragged. He forced his sharingan shut and climbed up the hillside. The streets looked strange, along with everything else. 

The city was huge and noisy, nothing like any village he had ever been in. He moved out onto the pavement, only to jump back quickly as a bright red object flew past him. His eye widened as he dodged through the vehicles to make it to the side of the street. Where the hell was he? 

He wandered for hours, finding no one who was a ninja, and no one who would spare him the time of day. When he made it to a park, he sat down on the grass. He needed to think. It was getting dark out, and no one would help him. He found it odd that such a large city like this wouldn't have any ninjas. 

Maybe he had missed a clue back under the bridge. He recalled his path with the sharingan, calculating the fastest way back to where he had woken up. As he walked, he thought back to the battle. The elderly lady had laid a curse on him… of that he was sure. But what the hell had happened? He was starting to have his doubts that he was even on the same planet. 

His feet stopped as he came upon the bridge. He thought back to the signs the woman made. Maybe if he recreated the hand signs with his sharingan, he could return to where he came from. It was worth a shot, and better than any idea he had come across so far. 

He retreated away from prying eyes to hide underneath the structure. He made the signs quickly, expelling chakra. A seal appeared on the ground in bright purple. Had the lady thrown a curse seal at him? He took a chance and stepped inside. The rush of air and intense movement made his vision fuzzy.

He hit the ground hard, hard enough to be knocked unconscious again.

It was already daylight when he woke again. His back was sore from the ground, and his eyes were sensitive to the light. He sat up, rubbing his tired eyes. "What the fuck." 

Kakashi looked around. "It's that damn field again." 

As unhappy as he was that he wasn't back in Konoha, he was grateful that he was at least somewhere he was familiar with. Scorch marks tainted the grass in areas where he had used his chidori… how long ago? He tried to narrow down the time frame. Maybe two days? A lone kunai was stuck in a tree, and it would have to be his only weapon. The bodies were long gone, which meant that his team had moved on without him. Of all the times for Tenzo to stick to the rules…

Kakashi stood up and brushed off the clothes that weren't his. Why was he still wearing this shit? He was hoping that reversing the jutsu would give him his stuff back… he was wrong. 

Kakashi thought about the 4 hour long trip ahead of him. Of course this was the time Tenzo didn't wait around for him. What fun was being injured and annoyed if he couldn't even make his kohai carry him home? 

Since he had a long-sleeve shirt over a smaller one, he removed the smaller shirt to wear as a mask. Just because he had gotten fucked up by some jutsu didn't mean he was showing everyone back home his face. He started the long trip through the trees, hoping not to run into any enemies without his armor or ninja tools. 

The trip was bullshit. Kakashi had almost fallen out of the trees four different times since he didn't have his sandals. He had some weird slippery sneakers on. He didn't know a single ninja who had ever worn sneakers. And then, to top it all off, he had landed in a puddle without his water-resistant uniform on. He was soaked, he was wearing a dirty shirt that wasn't his as a mask, and he was pissed. 

Finally, FINALLY, the gates came into view. Kakashi looked ridiculous, he knew this, and it certainly wouldn't be the first time he showed up with something strange covering his face. 

Kakashi was having an internal debate. After he reported to the Hokage, would he go home and change first before going to give Tenzo a hard time? He hated these clothes, true enough. But perhaps wearing this miserable outfit would make Tenzo feel even worse. 

He ran up the staircase to Minato's office quickly, several people staring at him as he went. Kakashi had always drawn a lot of attention, so he didn't think twice about it. He opened the door and immediately his attention was drawn to someone who looked exactly like him. EXACTLY. No… the eye was wrong. Someone was impersonating him. In order to keep the imposter from gaining ground, he needed to act fast. He opened his sharingan and moved. 

Kakashi flew through the air to his target, knocking him to the ground and ending on top of him. He held the kunai to the man's throat. "Who the hell ARE you?!" He yelled in the imposter's face. The man couldn't even get a simple transformation jutsu correct, and had put the sharingan on the WRONG FUCKING SIDE. The man stared at him open mouthed, not saying anything. Kakashi was going to yell again, but was interrupted as he was ripped away from the enemy. 

He turned quickly, facing his attacker. It was… Tsunade? He paused, waiting for an explanation. 

"CALM DOWN, YOU BRAT!" She yelled, keeping a secure hold on him as he tried to return to fight the enemy. 

His heart almost stopped beating as he turned to see Minato leaning on the ground, pulling the fake Kakashi into his arms. 

"Kakashi! Stop! He's not an enemy! I can explain all of this if you let me." Minato called out to him. The imposter looked terrified, and Kakashi was more confused than ever, but he trusted Minato, more than anyone. He stopped struggling, and Tsunade slowly released her grip on him, allowing him to stand on his own. 

He crossed his arms and stared down the intruder, waiting for whatever the hell could explain this. He finally registered Tenzo's chakra, and looked to the corner to see his kohai, staring back at him with his jaw open. 

Minato finally spoke again, still practically cuddling up to that thing in his arms. "I don't really know how to explain this. You were hit with a jutsu and died. We thought that THIS Kakashi had just taken your place, but from the looks of you I have a feeling you switched places instead. He isn't from our world, Kakashi. He's not a ninja. He is you… just from some other dimension, or something along those lines. We haven't entirely figured it all out yet." 

Kakashi listened, he really did. But what the hell did Minato just say? Another dimension? 

"It's true, brat. I checked his chakra network, it's undeveloped, and Inoichi checked his brain. We've all seen his memories of the world he came from. In fact, maybe you two should go to Inoichi and you can see for yourself. It might help explain some things." Tsunade explained slowly. 

"Senpai, how did you get back? I thought… I thought you were dead." Tenzo said, stepping towards Kakashi slowly with relief in his eyes. 

Kakashi looked to Tenzo. "Well, I woke up under some bridge and was trapped in a weird place. I wandered around until I decided to use my sharingan and copy the curse seal jutsu I was hit with, and I ended up back in the field we were fighting in."

"A curse seal jutsu? One that sends you into another plane of existence? If we didn't already know they existed from Obito's Kamui jutsu, I'd have a hard time believing that." 

As if he heard his name being called, Obito warped into the office. He landed smoothly, and the fake Kakashi jumped ridiculously. Maybe he really isn't a ninja after all…

"KAKASHI! YOU'RE ALIVE!" Obito yelled as he ran over and hugged Kakashi. He shoved the raven haired boy off of him. "Why are you hugging me, loser?" 

"Oh. Sorry. I guess one day with THIS one," he said, gesturing to the newcomer, "was enough to make me forget you." He said with a wink. "This Kakashi actually LIKES me." He smiled as he walked over to the other kid, and the traitorous Kakashi hugged him. Without even hesitating!

Obito grinned widely at him over silver hair. "Guess what else?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and spoke through clenched teeth. "What."

"Your face is really pretty." Obito said, winking again. 

The other Kakashi turned immediately, his hands in the air defensively. "I'm SO sorry. Nobody told me until I was already here! Please don't be mad at me."

Ignoring the blatant breach of his privacy, he looked the other kid over. They were almost exact copies of each other. Even the voices were similar. No doubt his face actually looked the same under the mask. Plus, Tenzo, Tsunade, and Minato had all already seen his face. 

"Are those my clothes?" The imposter asked suddenly. Kakashi looked down, eyeballing the rags he was wearing before looking at the other boy's clothes. That was his fabric mask over his face, but not his outfit. He didn't own any civilian clothes. "Why are you wearing Tenzo's clothes?" 

The stranger blushed, the pink coming up over the edge of the mask and going to his ears. He placed a hand to the back of his neck and shrugged. "Maa, well you see, I had nowhere to go so Tenzo let me sleep over at his place. I believe I have your clothes over there, too."

Obito laughed loudly. "Wow. He even talks like you! I want to keep him."

Minato finally spoke again, with Tsunade listening intently to the side. "Now, Obito, that's up to Kakashi. If he wants to go back to his home world, he can… but he is welcome to stay."

"Whoa. Wait just a minute. Isn't anyone going to ask ME how I feel about him staying?" Kakashi asked angrily. 

Minato regarded him thoughtfully. "I guess I hadn't really thought about it that way. I'm sorry, Kakashi."

"Kakashi?" A timid yet familiar voice called out. 

He looked over to his copy curiously. "Yes?"

"I uh… really would like to stay. But if it would bother you that much… I can go. But can you wait to decide until after we see the Inoichi guy?" The boy asked. 

Something nudged at him. Something in his heart. Kakashi felt a burning need to see this kid's memories, to witness what his life might've been like if he was born somewhere else, on some other plane of existence. 

Tenzo escorted both Kakashis over to the Intel division, sticking to the shadows. Kakashi had walked around Konoha with shadow clones before, but it was unnecessary to confuse citizens if the other boy didn't end up staying after all of this. Did he care if he stayed? The kid would certainly put a cramp in his aloof persona, and the explanations would be exhausting. Maybe they could get away with saying they were twins. 

Kakashi thought about it the whole walk over as Tenzo and the boy chatted idly about his home world. It was kind of nice, seeing Tenzo be so friendly towards someone. 

Inoichi did his work quickly. Kakashi took some time to think about the other kid's life as his own memories were being placed through his copy's mind. The kid had definitely had a rough go of it. He was lonely, and had lost more than Kakashi ever had. It was also strange seeing what his life would be like if Minato had been his parent. 

He recognized the bridge, and thought about all the nights he witnessed the other boy crying under it. Could he honestly send him back there? No. Probably not. 

They went out to go back to Hokage tower, the heavy weight of the decision on his shoulders. 

"Kakashi? Are you okay?" Tenzo asked. He always was good at reading the jonin's emotions, even through the mask. 

"Yeah. Just thinking." He replied. 

Tenzo stopped in an alleyway, both silver-haired boys stopping with him. "Senpai, I'm glad you're okay. If I ever have to watch you die again, I'll bring you back and kill you myself."

Tenzo finished his thought, then clearly hesitated. After a moment of debate, he pulled the ninja into a hug. How long had it been? Quite some time, for sure. It wasn't so bad 

"Don't get weird on me just because he's here." Kakashi said uncomfortably, gesturing to the new kid. "If I let him stay, are you going to keep hugging me?"

Tenzo chuckled, releasing him from his hold. "Probably." He said with a smile, shrugging and slinging an arm over the civilian's shoulder. He already knew Kakashi had made up his mind, that asshole. 

He sighed dramatically. "Then I guess he can stay."

The other Kakashi's face brightened drastically. He smiled through his shirt (Kakashi promptly confiscated the mask before they left) and hugged Tenzo. 

"But we have to figure out what to call you. We can't both be 'Kakashi'. It will be too confusing." He spoke confidently. 

The boy thought for a moment. "What about… the name Mom used to call us?" 

"That would work. I was actually thinking the same thing." The jonin replied. 

Even though Tenzo had seen the kid's memories, he clearly hadn't picked up on that part, judging by the look on his face. "Alright. That settles it. I'll be Kakashi, you can be just Kashi. But YOU get to explain this to everyone. It sounds a bit tedious. Let's get back to Minato."

"Okay!" Kashi shouted excitedly before running down the street, Tenzo chasing him. Kakashi couldn't help but smile at the sight. Maybe this would be good for him after all. He wouldn't ever admit it out loud, but Inoichi had slipped another memory into his brain. He showed him Tenzo's reaction when he had died out in the field, and everything Kashi had experienced after his arrival in the ninja world. Maybe he was a little TOO closed off, maybe he took his friends and teacher for granted… maybe it was time for a change. 

He moved to catch up with the other two before they got to the office.

*

After telling a relieved Minato the good news, Kakashi had questions that needed answered. "My first question is where is he going to stay?" 

"I can provide him an apartment, but I've got a feeling he'd be just as happy moving between you and Tenzo." He replied quietly. "I don't think he would want to stay alone." 

"I wouldn't! I'd love to stay with Tenzo or Kakashi!" Kashi suddenly replied from the other end of the room. Kakashi narrowed his eyes, civilian ears wouldn't be able to hear them from over at the desk. "He has the same heightened senses I do?" He turned to Tsunade. "Is he capable of training to use his chakra network?" 

Tsunade smiled. "I already considered that. Yes, he can. Though that should've been obvious to you seeing as he has a sharingan."

The thought hadn't crossed Kakashi's mind at all, actually. He DID have a sharingan. Would Kashi be able to handle the training? Would he WANT to? How amazing would it be to have TWO copy-ninjas? 

Minato smiled, clearly sensing his train of thought. He motioned for the other two to step back up to the desk. "Kashi? How about it? Would you like to train to become a shinobi?" 

Kashi didn't hesitate before he nodded his head enthusiastically. 

"Well, then I suppose I'd better reassign you some teachers. I couldn't think of anyone better than Kakashi and Tenzo to train with." Minato spoke in what Kakashi called his 'Hokage voice'. "I'm reassigning you two from Anbu for six months to start the training. After that, he can train with you in between missions, and myself or others when you are gone." 

Shockingly, Kakashi was happy to have a break from real missions. This would give him the time to think over his life and make some much needed adjustments. "I'd be glad to, Minato." He said, smiling at the man through his mask.

"Me too, Lord Fourth." Tenzo said confidently. 

*

The first step of Kashi's integration into Konoha society was showing him around town. Kakashi loaned him a jonin uniform for now (and a mask of course), and would help him purchase some clothes of his own later. After many strange looks and a couple hours of the tour, they stopped in for some bbq. 

It didn't take long for news to spread. Obito and Rin were the first to show up, holding hands and taking a seat in the booth. Kakashi, Tenzo, and Kashi on one side, and the couple on the other. Next, Anko showed up, taking a seat next to Rin (and being extremely loud). Kurenai and Asuma soon followed, sitting by Tenzo and gawking at the newcomer as they explained everything. Genma and Raidou stopped by, sitting next to the overly excited Anko as she took over explaining Kashi's story. 

Finally, with no short amount of groaning from Kakashi, Gai showed up. 

"I'M GOING TO HAVE TWO YOUTHFUL RIVALS TO CHALLENGE NOW?" He shouted into the restaurant excitedly. Kakashi was overwhelmed with all the excitement, but watching Kashi next to Tenzo, soaking up information like a sponge and excitedly making new friends, made it all worth it. 

Eventually, all the exhaustion from his day caught up to him, and he started to drift off. After all, he HAD woken up in a field and made a four hour run to Konoha this morning. He was allowed to sleep at the table, wasn't he? Instead of sleeping on the table, he leaned slowly on Tenzo's shoulder, sure that his friend would allow it. He felt the shoulder shake lightly as Tenzo chuckled, then promptly fell asleep. 

Tenzo woke him up as everyone else was leaving. The Anbu was having a blast picking on them, since apparently Kashi had been sleeping on his other arm. "You guys are like twins." He laughed loudly as he herded the two sleepy Kakashis to his apartment. Kakashi hadn't really thought about it that way. Would he start seeing Kashi as the brother he never had? He smiled at the thought. The idea was strange at first, but his new copy wasn't half bad to hang around. 

The three ended up staying at Tenzo's for the night, laughing and having a blast until they passed out like a bunch of young kids having a sleepover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got one more chapter after this. I'm part-way through writing it right now so it should be up tomorrow as promised. Please feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it. Mostly fluff, because what is an ending without fluff?

Kakashi woke as sunlight filtered down through Tenzo's window. To his right, Tenzo appeared to be sleeping soundly. To his left, Kashi was staring at the ceiling. "Couldn't sleep?" Kakashi whispered.

"I slept good. I just think I slept too much yesterday. You're awake awful early." Kashi replied. 

"Yeah. Lots of things going through my mind, I guess." Kakashi answered, 

"Need to talk about anything? I hear that helps… not that I have much experience in that." Kashi answered sheepishly. 

"Yeah, I suppose we both have a similar amount of experience in that. Except… I had people to talk to, I just didn't. I always had Minato, Obito, and Tenzo, and I just couldn't do it. I don't know why. I think it actually got WORSE after Obito gave me this eye. Him sacrificing his life for me like that… I couldn't handle the thought of someone dying for me. Hypocritical, maybe, since I've actively tried to sacrifice myself for just about everyone in this village. I didn't think it mattered… didn't think anyone would think twice about it if I was gone." 

Kakashi stopped his monologue to look at Tenzo. The boy was awake now, and pretending to sleep. Maybe it was easier this way. Maybe he could get these thoughts out without the pressure of a real conversation, and clearly Kashi was willing to just sit and listen to him speak. 

He looked back over to his new friend, who was patiently waiting for him to continue. 

"Inoichi showed me something yesterday… I'm not sure he was supposed to. He showed me Tenzo's memory… from when I died. I… I guess I was delusional thinking that he wouldn't care. I have taken so many people for granted by pushing them away and leaving walls between us. I never want to make that mistake again." He turned back to his right side again, reaching out to ruffle Tenzo's hair. "Alright, you can quit pretending to sleep now. I've said my piece." 

"He's been awake this whole time?" Kashi questioned from beside him. 

Tenzo opened his eyes and chuckled. "A little."

Kakashi could practically feel his other half pouting on his end of the bed. Tenzo started stretching and preparing to move, and Kakashi was grateful he didn't intend to continue the conversation. Kakashi had already opened up enough for one morning, and was happy Tenzo knew better than to push it. 

The trio finally got dressed and went out to breakfast. This time, Kashi borrowed some of Tenzo's civilian clothes and a mask from Kakashi. "I guess I can get used to wearing the mask… it has its benefits."

"Yeah? Like what? I've never been given a real reason for the mask." Tenzo piped in. 

Kakashi looked at him, and contemplated telling him the truth. "It's… because everyone told me I looked like my mother after she died. Then… it was because I looked like my father." He said quietly. "Don't tell anyone."

"Of course. Thank you, Senpai. But what are these so-called benefits?" Tenzo answered. Kakashi felt another sigh of relief. It wasn't so bad telling Tenzo things after all. He was just happy to hear it, and didn't feel a need to pry further. 

"Well… it kinda filters out all the strong smells around here." Kashi replied. 

"Strong smells? I don't smell anything." Tenzo said as he sniffed the air. 

Kakashi looked at him, lowered his mask just enough so that the tip of his nose stuck out, and smelled the air. He replaced it quickly with a grimace on his face. "I smell the ramen stand across the street, and the terrible grease he uses. I can tell you that the woman over there," he motioned to a woman walking away from them, "hasn't showered in AT LEAST five days, and I can smell the bird shit on the table over there. That garbage at the end of the block has rotten chicken in it, along with some moldy fruit, and your laundry detergent smells like citrus, which smells way too strong."

Tenzo's eyebrows were almost hidden in his hair. "Wow. I knew your sense of smell was strong… but damn. I can't smell any of that." He spoke softly, eyebrows furrowed in thought. He looked to Kakashi with narrowed eyes. "You could've told me you hated my detergent, you know. I'll buy something different."

"Maa, Tenzo, I can't ask you to change your stuff for me." Kakashi said, kicking at random debris on the ground. He looked over to Kashi, who was smiling like a big dope. 

"What?" Kakashi asked, half defensive, half laughing. 

"It's just nice, you know, seeing you two like this." Kashi replied with a shrug as the boys continued to walk through town. 

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up. Let's go start your training." Kakashi mumbled. 

Tenzo and Kakashi helped train their new friend for hours. Eight hours, to be exact. And, just as Kakashi had predicted, Kashi having the sharingan at the beginning of his training expedited the process. After one day, his speed had increased dramatically, his chakra network expanded slightly, and his general mindset was already changing. Of course, they couldn't do too much training with the sharingan itself, as Kashi's chakra stores were practically nonexistent. 

By the end of the second week, Kashi was using jutsus. And after one month, he was predicting taijutsu moves and formulating countermeasures. 

Tsunade provided the group with herbs to expand Kashi's chakra network much faster (which Kakashi definitely took a bunch for himself, too), and they discovered that Kashi also had a lightning affinity. It wasn't a surprising revelation, but it was one they had to find out anyway. 

The trio brought in several others for helpful training as well. Obito helped with sharingan training, Gai with taijutsu, and Kurenai helped with genjutsu. Even Minato made an appearance, helping with whatever he could. The entire time they were training, Kakashi hadn't slept at his own apartment once. Not that Tenzo seemed to mind. In fact, Kakashi was sure that the extra company was doing wonders for all three of them.

At the end of Tenzo and Kakashi's six month reassignment, Minato declared Kashi fit for active duty, and placed him on temporary assignment to Kakashi's team. With the amount of growth the sharingan could provide with proper training, Kakashi had to wonder how powerful the Uchiha would be if they acquired the sharingan at birth.

*******************  
2 YEARS LATER

Tenzo rushed through the trees, extending his senses to determine that yes, the enemy was still VERY close behind him. How could they not be? His arm was bleeding profusely from a stab wound right above his elbow. His range of motion had significantly decreased, and he could not use his jutsu in his left hand. He may still have water style with his right, but he couldn't perform hand signs. He came to a halt as another enemy dropped out of the tree ahead. 

He was charged immediately, and was forced to block a series of taijutsu assaults with only one arm and a kunai. Tenzo managed one kick to his attacker, but it was too late. The two enemies behind him had caught up. 

Tenzo was surrounded. He looked to the new additions, only to be knocked to the ground by the enemy behind him. He tried to pick himself up, but his arm had gotten even worse. Paralysis poison, he thought to himself. The two trackers approached slowly, but Tenzo wasn't worried. He could sense his backup in the trees. The deafening sounds of birds chirping filled the air as twin chidoris fell from the trees. Each attack hit between shoulder blades with expert precision as both Kashi and Kakashi joined the scene. 

Kashi moved to Tenzo with lightning speed, checking his injury as his counterpart took care of the remaining enemy. 

When the silence returned, Tenzo was finally able to relax. "What took you so long? I thought I was supposed to be bait, not a human sacrifice!"

"Maa, Tenzo, we just got lost on the path of life." Kakashi piped in with a smirk. Kashi shot him a glare, and the smirk disappeared. 

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Tenzo. We were also attacked. Is your arm okay?" 

Tenzo chuckled. Whenever Kakashi started to act like his old asshole self, Kashi called him on it. It was as entertaining as it was necessary, and Tenzo was thankful for it. His new friendship with both of them was the greatest thing in his life. 

After Kashi had been added to their team, the three of them sprung for a new, bigger apartment. They each had their own bedrooms, though most nights they all stayed up talking until they passed out in whichever room they were in. 

"I think I've been hit with a paralytic poison, actually." Tenzo spoke as he tried to stand up. His left leg went numb instantly, and Kashi had to help him stand. "And apparently it's spreading." Tenzo added with a pout. His pout disappeared and a mischievous grin took its place. "Well, guess it's MY turn to be carried home for once." He said with a snicker. 

Kakashi and Kashi both groaned. 

"I'll take the first shift, Kakashi. You've used more chakra today than I have. You should rest." Kashi spoke confidently. 

Kashi really had become one hell of a ninja. His skill level rose so rapidly that you could hardly tell the two Kakashis apart. In fact, most enemies didn't even notice the eyes were different, and wasted time trying to guess which one was a clone. 

Even if they didn't have opposite eyes, Tenzo would be able to tell. Kashi carried himself slightly different, and had a faintly different way of speaking that few would ever pick up on. Tenzo could feel the minuscule difference in their chakra. Kakashi's chakra felt like lightning itself captured within his body, a perfectly uniform bolt. Kashi's had a vaguely wild feel to it, probably due to the fact that it had almost eighteen years of forming itself without being properly schooled and molded into a perfect weapon. 

With as many differences that Tenzo could see, there were more than twice as many similarities, the strong desire to protect a comrade being top of the list, something Tenzo couldn't forget as Kashi carried him home. 

They were the most successful team in Anbu history. Their teamwork was flawless (mostly), and the three of them never got into fights. Both Tenzo and Kashi had been offered a captain's position in other squads, but both had refused. They were all having the time of their lives. Even bad or miserable missions weren't bad when they were together as a team. 

Later, when Tenzo woke up in the hospital, he'd laugh at the two silver haired jonin that were asleep, in chairs but leaning on each other heavily. "Just like twins, I swear."

***

When Kashi woke up and excitedly shook Kakashi awake, Tenzo had already been gone from his bed, in which they had all fallen asleep last night. Kakashi rolled over, grumbling and glaring through his bedhead. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Kashi yelled at his sleepy friend. His smile was huge, and Kakashi couldn't help but smile back. 

In the two years since his arrival, Kashi had been a great influence on Kakashi. He now had friends and even people he considered family. 

"Happy birthday to you too, Kashi." He said softly, moving to sit up. He sniffed the air with closed eyes. "Mmm. Smells like Tenzo is cooking us breakfast." Both ninjas sprang out of bed and out into the kitchen, still wearing their pajama pants. It really was an inside joke between the two of them sometimes, when they dressed and acted like twins. 

Kakashi would never admit it, but the smile it brought to Tenzo's face was enough for him to over exaggerate it just a bit. So when he bought himself a new pair of shuriken pattern pajama pants, he made sure to pick up a pair with a kunai pattern for Kashi. Tenzo looked over from the stove at them, both in their new pajama pants, no shirts, and insane bedhead. He smiled and chuckled before turning back to his cooking, and the boys shared a knowing smile when he wasn't looking. 

It wasn't all exaggerated, of course. If the two had been similar before, it was nothing like it is now. They both had new habits and mannerisms adopted from the other, and if it weren't for the eyes, only Tenzo would know the differences. 

Tenzo had made them a delicious breakfast of eggs, diced potatoes, bacon, and sausage. "Happy birthday!" He said with a smile as he piled up plates for them. The three of them ate all the food, laughing and talking about their plans for the day. 

Tenzo had told them about the party almost a week prior. The two boys knew something was up immediately. Tenzo was a great shinobi, but he couldn't keep secrets from them, and when he giggled incessantly EVERY TIME Kashi brought up their upcoming birthday… it was painfully obvious. 

The jonin in the village (spearheaded by Gai), had planned a giant party for them. Kashi had been extremely excited from the get-go, and even Kakashi had to admit he was looking forward to it. For the most part, he still put forth his aloof attitude around other people, but he no longer pretended he didn't care about anything. He was especially honest with Gai, who had long suffered behind Kakashi's protective walls. 

The time finally came. Tenzo ushered both jonin out the door and to the hall that they had rented for the night. When they entered, everyone yelled out their 'Happy Birthday' and swarmed the two for hugs. If Kakashi smiled a lot more than he used to, no one mentioned it. 

He knew long ago that Tenzo had gone around to talk to just about everyone in the village, asking them not to make a big deal out of any changes Kakashi may make. He was ever thankful to have a friend like Tenzo, and he tried to show it as often as he could. 

Kashi was running through the crowd, soaking up hugs like they were his life-force as Kakashi was captured by Obito and Rin. It was some of the most fun Kakashi had ever had, if he was being honest, and nothing made him smile more than seeing Kashi have a good time. 

The pair met up with Tenzo and wrapped him into a hug, one on each side as the brunette laughed uncontrollably. A flash later, and that was a picture Kakashi made a mental note to get a copy of. 

Later at home, all three boys would stare at the walls of their living room as Kakashi added the newest frame to the collection. At this rate, they wouldn't have any room left soon, but they didn't care. The pictures varied, but the theme was all the same. Up in the right-hand corner, hung the picture of Kashi and Kakashi, arm in arm beside a smiling Minato. Beneath that, was the picture of Tenzo dumping a bucket of water over Gai's head with a smile on his face. To the left, was Kashi trapped in a hug between Rin and Obito at their wedding. 

This wall was the chronicles of their new life. The one with friends, hugs, and laughing. And in the dead center, beneath the picture of Kakashi and Asuma's arm wrestling match, was the biggest picture. Tenzo in the middle, smiling and laughing, with the two twins hugging him from each side. 

Where was life going to lead them? Only time would tell, but Kakashi knew in his heart that wherever he went, he wouldn't be alone ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congrats to me on my first ever fic that didn't end in romance! (Not that I wasn't tempted to write some Kakashi-Tenzo-Kashi action. Still might, who knows.) Please if you liked it, leave me a comment to let me know.


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